2009 in Northern Ireland explained

Events during the year 2009 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

• • • First Minister - Peter Robinson deputy First Minister - Martin McGuiness Secretary of State - Shaun Woodward

Events

• 23 January – The seventh plenary meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council is held at the University of Ulster at Magee, Derry.^[1]
• 27 January – Environment Minister Sammy Wilson grants the National Trust planning permission for a new visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway.^[2]
• January - 300 lb car bomb, is abandoned outside Castlewellan. It had been destined for the British Army base at Ballykinler. Óglaigh na hÉireann, claimed responsibility for the attack.^[3]
• 7 March – 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting: British Army soldiers, Patrick Azimkar (21) and Mark Quinsey (23), are shot dead by the Real Irish Republican Army outside Massereene Barracks, Antrim.^[4]
• 9 March – Police Service of Northern Ireland officer, Stephen Paul Carroll (48), is shot dead by the Continuity Irish Republican Army at Lismore Manor, Craigavon, the first PSNI victim since the service's establishment under this name.^[4]
• 17 March – First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have discussions with US President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C.^[5]
• 6 May – Belfast International Airport announces a £10million investment in improving facilities at the airport, to be completed by summer 2010.^[6]
• 24 May – Kevin McDaid (49) dies following an assault by loyalists at Somerset Drive, Coleraine.^[4]
• 8 June – Sinn Féin's Bairbre de Brún tops the poll in the European Parliamentary election in Northern Ireland. Jim Nicholson of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists and Diane Dodds of the DUP are also elected.^[7]
• 1 July – Robin Newton, a Democratic Unionist Party MLA, is sworn is as a Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, replacing Jeffrey Donaldson.^[8]
• 12 July – The Orange Order holds three "flagship" parades in Banbridge, Bangor and Larne. For the first time, most shops in Belfast city centre were open.^[9]
• 12 July – In north Belfast a shot is fired at police by republicans during disturbances following Orange Order parades, two police officers are injured in Belfast and water cannon is used and baton rounds fired to disperse rioters.^[9]
• 13–16 August - Belfast Maritime Festival. Belfast is a host port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge.^[10]
• 11 October – Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) announces that its armed struggle is over and that it will pursue its objectives through an exclusively peaceful political struggle.^[11]
• 21 November – Dissident republicans are blamed for leaving a 400 lb car bomb outside the Policing Board's headquarters in Belfast. It only partially exploded.^[12]

Arts and literature

• 16–31 October - 47th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's.

Sport

• 1 February – Rory McIlroy claims his first professional golf tournament win at the Dubai Desert Classic.^[13]
• 4 – 13 April - Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships 2009, Belfast.^[14]
• 26 July – 2 August - World Dwarf Games 2009, Belfast.^[15]
• 26 September – Kris Meeke from Dungannon wins the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title after victory in the Rallye Sanremo in Italy.^[16]
• 26 November – Rowing coach Bobby Platt from Coleraine is BBC Sports 2009 Unsung Hero for Northern Ireland.^[17]
• 8 December – Kris Meeke is awarded the Autosport Rookie of the Year award.^[18]

Football

• World Cup 2010 Qualifiers^[19]

11 February - San Marino 0-3 Northern Ireland

28 March - Northern Ireland 3-2 Poland

1 April - Northern Ireland 1-0 Slovenia

5 September - Poland 1-1 Northern Ireland

9 September - Northern Ireland 0-2 Slovakia

14 October - Czech Republic 0-0 Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland fail to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finishing 4th in their group behind the Czech Republic.

GAA

19 July - Tyrone defeat Antrim 1-18 to 0-15 to win the Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009.

Deaths

• 1 January – John Morrow, Presbyterian minister and peace activist (born 1931)
• 7 April – Paddy O'Hanlon, barrister and SDLP politician (born 1944)
• 31 December – John Cushnie, gardener and broadcaster (born 1943)
• 31 December – Cardinal Cahal Daly, philosopher, theologian and writer (born 1917)
• 31 December – Helen Lewis, dance teacher and choreographer (born 1916)

See also

• 2009 in England
• 2009 in Scotland
• 2009 in Wales

Notes and References

1. Web site: North/South Ministerial Council Seventh Plenary Meeting . North/South Ministerial Council. 8 July 2009.
2. Web site: Wilson approves causeway visitors' centre proposal . Northern Ireland Executive Press Release . 8 July 2009.
3. News: Dissident republicans preparing to bomb UK . Telegraph (25 April 2009). https://web.archive.org/web/20090429145825/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5219230/Dissident-republicans-preparing-to-bomb-UK.html . dead . 29 April 2009 . 25 January 2010 . London . Sean . Rayment . 25 April 2009.
4. Web site: Draft List of Deaths Related to the Conflict in 2009 . Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) . 8 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090608134053/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/deaths2009draft.htm. 8 June 2009 . live.
5. Web site: Robinson and McGuinness hold talks with Obama . Northern Ireland Executive Press Release . 8 July 2009.
6. Web site: Robinson and McGuinness welcome £10million investment for international airport . Northern Ireland Executive Press Release . 8 July 2009.
7. News: Sinn Féin tops poll in Euro count . BBC NI News (8 June 2009). 26 January 2010 . 8 June 2009.
8. Web site: Robin Newton sworn in as Junior Minister . Northern Ireland Executive Press Release . 8 July 2009.
9. News: Violence at Belfast parade route . BBC NI News (13 July 2009). 26 January 2010 . 13 July 2009.
10. Web site: Belfast Maritime Festival . Belfast. Here. Now. 26 January 2010.
11. News: 'Armed struggle is over' - INLA . BBC News NI (11 October 2009) . 6 February 2009.
12. News: 400lb bomb left at Policing Board . BBC News NI (22 November 2009). 23 February 2010 . 22 November 2009.
13. News: McIlroy wins first title in Dubai . BBC NI News (1 February 2009). 26 January 2010 . 1 February 2009.
14. Web site: Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships 2009, Belfast. World Fencing. 8 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090428180028/http://www.worldfencing2009.com/english-eng. 28 April 2009. dead.
15. Web site: World Dwarf Games Belfast 2009 . World Dwarf Games . 8 July 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090524045213/http://www.belfast2009.com/. 24 May 2009 . live.
16. News: Meeke takes title after Italy win . BBC NI News (26 September 2009). 26 January 2010 . 26 September 2009.
17. News: Rowing coach Platt wins BBC award . BBC NI News (26 November 2009). 26 January 2010 . 26 November 2009.
18. News: Meeke wins rookie of year award . BBC NI News (8 December 2009). 26 January 2010 . 8 December 2009.
19. Web site: Matches - 2010 FIFA World Cup . FIFA . 27 January 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080327211033/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/europe/teams/team%3D43952/fixturesresults.html . 27 March 2008 . dead.